


The Second Trial of Akmazian

by purpleeyesandbowties



Series: now that we're free [1]
Category: EOS 10 (Podcast)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, ryan and akmazian are in Love, surprise wedding, this is so frickin cheesy, this was supposed to be a huge fic but i got tired of writing it and cut it down to the good stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 11:56:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7049638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purpleeyesandbowties/pseuds/purpleeyesandbowties
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Akmazian had a plan. It wasn’t a plan to break out of prison when he was found guilty, as Jane had suggested, or a body-double/swap for Akmazian in case he was sentenced to death, like Levi had suggested. It was more of plan for if things went incredibly right for once.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Second Trial of Akmazian

**Author's Note:**

> ok so this is the first in (hopefully) a bigger series in which ryan and ak are dumb and cute and domestic but idk the actual chances of that happening. i just wanted to write a wedding yall. i played fast-and-loose with both court customs and marriages bc this is way in the future and in space and i do what i want. im sadhipstercat on tumblr, come cry about these losers.

The day before the verdict of his trial was announced, Akmazian requested to see one more visitor. He’d been talking to several different friends and allies over the past week—tying up loose ends, making plans, just in case—but there was one that he hadn’t been allowed to see yet.

Shortly after Akmazian was arrested and the trial date was set, Ryan had disclosed that he and Akmazian were, quote, “romantically involved”. Since then, the judge had ruled it a conflict of interest for them to interact before Ryan took the witness stand. So for the past ten months, the only contact Akmazian had had with his boyfriend was glimpses of him in the courtroom, usually separated by several hundred people. Ryan sat in the audience for the most part—at least as the accused’s boyfriend he was always guaranteed a good seat—except for the days he took the witness stand. Those were the worst days, when Ryan was close enough to touch but still completely unreachable. Ryan did his part to be as unbiased and professional as possible. He spoke of only the facts (he had practically memorized answers, thanks to Akmazian’s well-prepared and frankly terrifying lawyer) and when asked about his personal connections to Akmazian, Ryan gave short, concise answers and never once looked over at him.

It was good for the case, but terrible for Akmazian. He missed him.

But tonight would be the last night he’d be in this prison cell. One way or another. Akmazian buzzed the pager. His guard, a no-nonsense gray-haired half-human, appeared within a minute.

“Izza!” Akmazian said. “You’re looking stunning tonight as usual. Is that a new style of French braid? It looks wonderful. Very military-approved.”

Izza rolled her eyes. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere, Destroyer. You should know that by now.”

“Oh, I know. I’m a man who speaks from the heart. _You_ should know that by now.”

Akmazian genuinely liked Izza. She took no bullshit from him, but she was never rude or cruel either. She abided the rules to the letter but always found a way to make him as comfortable as possible. And she was killer at poker. If Akmazian had any money to bet, he’d be broke. As it was, he owed about two years of personal favors. (“If you’re put to death, I’ll forgive your debt,” she told him one night, managing to pull a tired chuckle out of him).

“Izza, you won’t miss me too much after tomorrow, will you? I’m a gentleman—I hate to break a lady’s heart.”

She snorted. “Gentleman, my ass. What can I do for you, Akmazian?”

“I know that you’re a deeply romantic and gentle-hearted woman.”

Akmazian paused to allow her to snort again. When she regained her composure, he continued, “So, seeing as tonight might be the last night I have with my head still attached to my body, I was hoping I might be able to see my boyfriend. Say what I need to say?”

Izza studied him, obviously not buying his lofty, unconcerned attitude. “You know I can’t do that, luv.” Her face softened. “But I can send a message along, if you’d like.”

Akmazian swallowed back his disappointment. It didn’t seem likely that he would get sentenced to death, even if he was found guilty in the morning. But seeing Ryan again would go a long way in calming the sick pit of ‘oh god, what if’ in his stomach. He shook his head, forcing a smile. “Just send him my love again. Can you send in Nurse Johns now? I have a list of things that need to be cleared out if I’m not able to return to EOS 10.”

“Sure thing. I’ll page her. And Akmazian?”

“Hmm?”

“That jury will do the right thing. You’ll be back at your boy’s side in no time.”

Izza looked sincere. It had taken her a while to warm up to Akmazian, but after almost a year under her watch, he considered her a friend. He was almost sure that she felt the same. He smiled tiredly, clasping her hand through the bars. “Thanks, Izza. I appreciate it.”

\--

Akmazian had a plan. It wasn’t a plan to break out of prison when he was found guilty, as Jane had suggested, or a body-double/swap for Akmazian in case he was sentenced to death, like Levi had suggested. It was more of plan for if things went incredibly _right_ for once. The chances of that, at this point, were not looking very good, but Akmazian wanted _something_ positive to hold on to, even if it wouldn’t be likely. Jane agreed to bring the things he needed to court the next morning, and reconfirmed the plan to clear out the cargo bay in case Akmazian was found guilty. If that happened, all of Akmazian’s belongings (that Jane didn’t have to destroy) would go to Ryan, as proved in the newly-minted living will Akmazian had penned with help from his lawyer. But that was a worst-case scenario plan. This was a different plan and however unlikely it seemed that it would be necessary, it was enough to keep him calm. A goal. Something to look forward to.

But there was still the worry that he wouldn’t have the chance to see Ryan before his sentencing. Ryan was convinced Akmazian would go free; Akmazian himself was being more cautiously optimistic. He might get off easy with some jail time, but it was unlikely he would get out of every single charge. He had done some things he wasn’t proud of over the years to stay alive, and he had made his peace with it, even if Ryan had not. On the other extreme, the only one convinced that Akmazian might hang for his crimes was Levi, in his morbidly pessimistic way.

There were betting pools on the outcome of the trial, Akmazian knew, and most of EOS 10 had money in one or another. (Ryan had stubbornly put his credits on Akmazian walking away with no punishment at all. It was the smallest betting pool. Akmazian loved him for that).

But Akmazian still hadn’t spoken to his boyfriend in almost a year, and Izza had just crushed his last hope in that department. He just hoped he’d be able to see him after the trial. Hopefully in private. Before they took him to the highest security prison they could find. For however long that was.

Akmazian shook his head. It didn’t help at all to think in those circles. The trial had been long, difficult, draining; but Akmazian had built a solid case and finally had the chance to tell the truth—the whole truth this time. Every dirty secret of the Alliance he had to hide, every single crime he’d committed under orders and on his own, details about scraping together a living in secret. The entire galaxy had been following the trial from the very beginning. There was a chance—a good chance—that the jury would find him guilty of at least _some_ of the crimes he’d been charged with. But on the other hand, there had been a surprisingly large following who had become convinced of his innocence as the trial progressed. Several public figures had proclaimed their support of him. There had been protests against his absurdly high bail and the court’s reluctance to give him proper accommodations. On the whole, it seemed Akmazian had the support of the public, but the Alliance had the support of the law. The judge had sworn to abide by the jury’s decision, and the jury had been in deliberation for weeks now. It was anyone’s game.

\--

The courtroom was crowded. Of course it was, it always was, but today it was almost bursting at the seams with the sheer number of people milling around inside. The jury of twenty-nine had spent twenty-one days deliberating, and this, finally, was judgment day. They’d come to a unanimous decision somewhere in night. They went to bed, to their families for the first time in those weeks, and now they were ready to give the sentence.

To say Akmazian was nervous was an understatement. He was on the verge of vomiting up the oatmeal Izza had left him. The mint tea she assured him would help was churning dangerously in his stomach. Ryan arrived, the combined forces of Ellie and Jane keeping the crush of reporters and spectators from getting to him. Akmazian, as always, couldn’t help but watch him from a distance. Ryan looked terrible. His eyes were red, the circles under them uncomfortably pronounced. Akmazian would bet every credit he didn’t have that Ryan had slept as well as he did the night before. Which is to say: not well. Akmazian ached to hold him again. Instead of vaulting the metal divider between the court and the audience like he wanted to, Akmazian settled for soaking in Ryan’s presence from twenty feet away.

 Ryan took his customary seat in the audience. He kept his eyes focused on Ellie, talking tiredly, but every few seconds his eyes cut over to where Akmazian was sitting. They made eye contact briefly, and Akmazian lifted an eyebrow in greeting. It was the best he could do without drawing attention to either of them.

Ryan’s lips flicked up briefly. He went back to the conversation with his sister, his posture more relaxed. Akmazian allowed himself a small smile. No matter what else happened today, if he could make Ryan feel even a little better, that was the most important thing.

The judge called the court to order. It took a good ten minutes for the room to settle, reporters trying to get in one last statement before the verdict, and the room full past capacity. Eventually, a tense, anticipatory silence fell over the court. The judge read through the ridiculously long and complicated opening statements. Akmazian fidgeted through the lawyer’s statements. His lawyer was smart, efficient, and downright scary. Her statement was less than a minute. The Alliance’s lawyer was much more long-winded. While he prattled on, Akmazian’s eyes drifted over to Ryan, who was listening with rapt attention. Akmazian could see the death-grip he had on the bench in front of him and wished for the millionth time that his own hands weren’t cuffed together so he could get the fuck over to his boyfriend and hold his goddamn hand.

 _Ryan deserves better than this_ , Akmazian thought, also for the millionth time. He’d taken the trial in stride, being stronger and better and _smarter_ about it than Akmazian could have prayed to be. It was Ryan who helped his lawyer build a case that actually made sense. It was Ryan who demanded the rescreening of the jury after he found out that over half of them had family members serving in the Alliance. It was Ryan who had led campaigns and organized protests for Akmazian’s sake. Ryan who had quietly accepted the judge’s ruling that they couldn’t see each other, and who stuck to that rule even when there was opportunity to break it. All while Akmazian himself had sat, helpless and useless, behind bars.

 _If I get out of this,_ Akmazian swore to himself _, he’ll never have to do anything like this without me again. I’ll be there for him. No matter what._

Akmazian pulled himself out of his thoughts as the courtroom fell silent. The jury filed into the room quickly and took their places at the front of the room. The head juror took a step forward, holding a piece of paper that would decide the rest of his life. In a clear, loud voice, she said, “We, the jury of Alliance v. Akmazian, being of perfect and unanimous agreement, hereby deliver the verdict concerning the accused, Akmazian.”  
She took a deep breath. No one else in the room did. Akmazian’s stomach churned. His fists clenched against his legs, his eyes fixed on the juror, not wanting to miss her words. The soft sounds of camera shutters echoed throughout the room, and Akmazian knew he was the subject of the pictures.

“We the jury find the accused….”

He squeezed his eyes shut, dropping his head down. He let out a slow, silent breath. He hoped they would let him talk to Ryan. He’d find a way to, he decided. He’d jump the divider if he had to. After all, what could they do? Arrest him?

He almost chuckled at that thought, considering the cuffs currently around his wrists and the shackles on his legs. So focused on his private joke, he almost missed the final words.

“…..not guilty of all charges.”

A wall of sound smacked Akmazian in the face. Thousands of spectators and reporters surged to their feet, all talking at once. The cacophony was almost deafening.

“Wait,” Akmazian said. “What did they say?”

His lawyer gave him the first real smile she had managed since the beginning of the trial.

“They found you _not guilty_. You’re free.”

Akmazian’s stomach swooped dangerously, the nerves that had been upsetting it replaced with a surge of relief. His mouth dropped open, but no sound came out. Finally, he managed to get his voice working again.

“Ryan?”

The lawyer pushed him out of his seat, pointing him towards the audience.

His breath caught. Ryan was squished in a hug between Jane and Ellie, tears running down his face. Akmazian took a stumbling step forward, hindered by the chains around his ankles. And another step. Quietly, he said, “Ryan…”

He cleared his throat, his voice finally loud enough to carry. _“Ryan!”_

Ryan’s head snapped up. Their eyes met from across the room and Akmazian swore that everything else melted away. He saw rather than heard Jane laugh and say something to Ryan. Ryan nodded dumbly. Ellie said something else, but Ryan was already gone. He jumped over the divider that kept the court from the audience, that stupid fucking piece of metal that had kept them apart for months.

Ryan crashed into Akmazian, wrapping all available limbs around him. Akmazian let out a little sob, doing the best he could to hold him with his own hands still cuffed. He buried his face in the top of Ryan’s head, breathing in the familiar, comforting scent. They ignored the flash of cameras around them, the clamor of people talking, and just held each other. Akmazian never wanted to let go.

But he did. He had a plan to stick to. He pulled away, regretfully.

“Ryan. Darlin, listen to me, please.”

Ryan pressed a kiss to his knuckles, nodding. A circle of onlookers had formed, dozens of civilians and reporters, watching the drama unfold. Akmazian took a deep breath, trying to remember the speech he’d planned out at the beginning of this whole affair but finding it hard to through the tears clogging his throat.

“Ryan, a year ago now, you asked me to marry you. It was the happiest moment of my life, knowing you wanted to be with me as much as I wanted to be with you. But I had to say no. And that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, darlin, saying no to the love of my life. But back then I was still a wanted man, a criminal. I couldn’t do that to you—shackle the man I love to a life of secrets and lies and cold, dark cargo bays. So I said no because you deserve better. But I swore to myself that I would marry you the instant I was free. And darlin,”

He paused, unable to continue. He swallowed hard, forcing the words out. Ryan gave him a soft smile, bolstering his courage.  
“Darlin, I’m free. Will you marry me?”

Ryan grabbed the back of Akmazian’s neck and hauled him in for a kiss. Akmazian chuckled, even though their teeth clacked together painfully. He sobered up quickly, focusing on the more important thing: kissing Ryan. Ten months of longing and missing and wishing came pouring out in one desperate moment. They were both crying, both unwilling to pull apart. Akmazian growled in frustration; his handcuffs restraining his hands still. Finally, Ryan pulled back enough to say, “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”

Akmazian leaned right back in, kissing him again and again. He managed to worm his hands out from where they were pinned between them and stick them up in the air. A small box flew through the air and hit his hand a few seconds later, and Akmazian made a mental note to do something nice for Jane, the universe’s best wingman. He disengaged from Ryan again, sinking down on one knee. He opened the small velvet box, revealing a pair of silver rings.

“I couldn’t help but notice, darlin, we are in a courtroom.”

“We are,” Ryan said, a stupid smile creeping over his face.

“And,” Akmazian continued. “It seems we are in the presence of a judge. We should be able to scrape together some witnesses, too. It seems a waste to not take advantage of such an ideal situation.”

“And I have the papers!” Jane shouted, shouldering her way through the crowd. Akmazian grinned at her and she grinned back.

Jane plopped down next to Ryan, clapping him on the shoulder. “I know you’ve already had one surprise proposal today, but how about another one? Will you do the honor of making me your best man?”

Ryan threw his head back and laughed. “Sure, Jane. I would be honored.”

Jane gasped over-dramatically, slapping a hand over her chest in mock-surprise. She smacked a kiss on Ryan’s cheek, then Akmazian’s.

“Well, boys. I think you two have waited long enough for this. Let’s get this party started!”

\--

Jane managed to talk the judge into skipping zir lunch break to officiate the ceremony. Somehow. Maybe she had finally managed to successfully ‘Jane’ someone. Akmazian found he didn’t really care, actually, as his lawyer uncuffed him and he finally got his arms around his boyfrie—his fiancé.

He didn’t even bother to change out his ugly orange jumpsuit—it would have taken about an hour for Jane or Ellie to make it EOS 10 and back to get something, and even though they had all the time in the world—finally, blessedly—neither of them wanted to wait. And everyone they wanted to be there was already present: Ellie, and Ryan’s mother, Doctor Urvidian, even Levi (via comm pad livestream).

As for Akmazian’s parents—well. He hadn’t been in contact with them since before joining the Alliance. He thought they might still be alive, somewhere on the outskirts of the galaxy, but there was no way to know. He swallowed past that pain, squeezing Ryan’s hand. As long as he had Ryan, how could he be anything but blindingly, unendingly happy?

Ryan squeezed his hand in return. Akmazian leaned over to kiss his cheek quickly before leading him to the front of the room. The judge came down from zir podium, holding several books. Ze said, “Now, what type of ceremony would you like? Human, I assume.”

Ryan and Akmazian both nodded quickly. They’d talked about it in the past, after Ryan’s first proposal. When they could get married, they both wanted a small, human ceremony. Lots of humans, especially those with alien blood in their heritage or those marrying into a different species, opted for more elaborate ceremonies. Human ones were among the simplest, quickest, and least painful. (Akmazian internally shuddered, remembering the night Levi had described—in detail—the bloodletting and other necessities involved in his people’s marriages).

The judge smiled, obviously relieved, and accepted a sheaf of papers from Jane. Ze went through the stack, signing the necessary ones.

Akmazian dropped Ryan’s hand as his mother approached, wanting to give the two of them a moment together. To his surprise, she walked straight past Ryan and stopped in front of him.

“Ma’am,” Akmazian said, suddenly more nervous than he’d been while waiting for his verdict. She looked down her nose at him—he was tall, but she had a good two inches on him, even in flat shoes. Akmazian fidgeted under her gaze.

“Akmazian,” she said, and Akmazian prepared himself for a chewing out. Maybe he should have asked her permission before proposing to Ryan?

“I expect you and my son to visit a minimum of three times a year. I also expect at least one grandchild before I die or you both get written out of my will. Understand?”

Ryan coughed in embarrassment. “Mother.”

Unrepentant, she leveled Akmazian with one more glare, placed a hand on Ryan’s cheek in a gesture of affection, and went back to her place in the crowd. Urvidian came up next, and to everyone’s surprise, hugged them both at once. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it again, and stalked off without a word.

“I think he’s getting sentimental in his old age,” Akmazian muttered to Ryan. Ryan smiled and leaned gently against Akmazian’s side. All at once it hit him. He was going to _marry_ this man. They wouldn’t have to look over their shoulders or hide in the shadows anymore. They were going to spend the rest of their lives together. 

Ryan reached up and cupped Akmazian’s face in his hands. “Are you crying?”

“Maybe a little,” Akmazian mumbled, catching Ryan’s hands. He pressed them against his lips, closing his eyes. Ryan made a small sound, somewhere between a small laugh and a fond sigh. He rose up on his toes to kiss Akmazian’s forehead.

“You’re so…..” he didn’t finish the sentence, but Akmazian knew what he meant.

“Yeah, I am. I’m just lucky you agree to put up with me.”

Ryan smiled fondly, taking Akmazian’s hand. “I’m going to put up with you forever. I love you.”

“I love you,” Akmazian whispered, leaning closer to Ryan.

The judge cleared zir throat. “Alright. I am ready whenever the two of you are.”

“They are,” Jane said, when neither one responded. “You know, guys, usually the kiss happens _after_ the wedding.”

“Fuck off,” Ryan muttered quietly, but disengaged from Akmazian. Their hands were still tightly clasped between them.

The judge began: “Friends and family, we gather today to celebrate the union of these people, who have convened to publicly declare their love and devotion. We are here to witness the joining of two souls, two minds, two lives, into one.”

The vows went by quickly. Akmazian repeated the words that the judge fed him, grateful that he didn’t have to come up with his own words. He was too overwhelmed to even try. He paused at the line about being there for him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, unable to speak through the knot of tears in his throat. Ryan stroked his hand with his thumb, offering that silent, perfect kind of support and love that Akmazian feel weak in the knees whenever he looked at Ryan. He took a deep breath and his next words came out strong and clear, without prompting from the judge. “I pledge to be faithful and true to you for the rest of our lives and beyond. I swear my love is true and eternal. Nothing will take me from you nor you from me. I give all that I have and all that I am to you.”

Ryan repeated the words back to him, voice catching in a few places.

Jane offered up the rings when the judge asked for them. Ryan took the larger of the two and lifted Akmazian’s hand.

“With this ring as a symbol of my love and dedication to you, I, Ryan Dalias, claim you as my husband. Forever and always, you are mine and I am yours.”

The ring slid onto his finger with a kind of finality that Akmazian didn’t expect. He let out a deep breath and accepted the other ring.

“With this ring as a symbol of my love and dedication to you, I, Akmazian, claim you as my husband. Forever and always, you are mine and I am yours.”

Jane cheered loudly. The judge threw her a sharp look but Ryan and Akmazian both laughed.

“You may now kiss,” ze said with great dignity.

Their first kiss as a married couple was nearly identical to their first kiss ever—tentative, gentle, like both were expecting the other to pull away or disappear. Akmazian leaned his forehead against Ryan’s, a soft smile on his lips. Ryan mirrored it, tangling their fingers together.

Akmazian sighed happily, his lips brushing against Ryan’s. He’d won his freedom today but this felt just as important—maybe even more so. Having Ryan forever and always _was_ more important. He told Ryan as much and he shook his head.

“Even if you hadn’t been found innocent, you still would have had me. Forever and always.”

Akmazian opened his mouth to protest but Ryan kissed him. And that was certainly a compelling argument.


End file.
